Understanding Aboriginal art, iconography and symbols

Many people ask what Aboriginal art means. Here is a quote by Anangu of the central desert APY Lands South Australia which succinctly summarises the deep meaning behind the art work-story.

"Tjukurpa refers to the creation period when ancestral beings created the world. From this came our religious heritage, explaining our existence and guiding our daily life. It is the law for caring for one another and for the land that supports us.

Tjukurpa tells of the relationships between people, plants, animals and the physical features of the land. It refers to the time when ancestral beings created the world as we know it.

Knowledge of how these relationships came to be, what they mean and how they must be carried on is explained in Tjukurpa.

Tjukurpa refers to the past, the present and the future at the same time. None of the places we know existed until our ancestors, in the form of people, plants and animals, traveled widely across the land.

As they traveled they formed the world as we know it, creating trees, rocks, caves, boulders, cracks and waterholes.

The details of the activities and travels of the ancestral beings have been taught to us in stories, songs, dances and ceremonies.

Our deep knowledge of the land…….is based on our knowledge of Tjukurpa. This knowledge is carefully passed on…..”